By: Mukul Rustagi | Head- Human Resources | Allison Transmission

PPE Impact Stories 

Driving PPE Adherence Through Innovation, Empathy, and Cultural Transformation 

Overview 

Ensuring consistent Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) adherence on manufacturing shop floors is a persistent challenge across industries. While policies and procedures define the what, sustainable safety performance depends on influencing the why and how of human behaviour. 

In 2013, our PPE adherence levels were critically low—below 10%—posing significant risks to employee safety and organisational resilience. Instead of relying solely on enforcement mechanisms, we adopted a multi-dimensional, people-centric approach that blended innovation, empathy, positive reinforcement, and behavioural nudges. As a result, PPE usage has consistently increased to over 90%, with the practices being replicated across all our plants in India. LTAs (Lost Time Accidents) have also reduced considerably. 

What follows are our key interventions that collectively transformed PPE compliance into a deeply embedded safety culture. 

1. Gandhigiri on the Shop Floor: Non-Violence as a Behavioral Lever 

One of our most distinctive and impactful initiatives was “Gandhigiri on the Shop Floor,” inspired by the Bollywood movie Lage Raho Munnabhai, which reinterpreted Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence in a contemporary setting. 

Any employee observed without mandatory PPE—such as safety goggles—was not reprimanded or penalised. Instead, they were offered a rose flower, along with a gentle message explaining the importance of PPE and personal safety. This approach eliminated fear, defensiveness, and resistance. 

In parallel, employees who consistently followed safety norms were randomly rewarded with chocolates, reinforcing desired behavior through appreciation rather than obligation. 

The impact was immediate and profound. Employees connected emotionally with the message, peer influence increased organically, and PPE compliance rose sharply within a short period. Piloted at our Kolhapur facility, the success of Gandhigiri led to its institutionalisation across all plants in India. Today, PPE adherence levels exceed 90%, sustained over time.

Gandhigiri: Offering Flowers to an Employee not found wearing Safety Goggles and then requesting them to adhere to Safety norms (Reformation, Not Retribution) 

2. Safety Through Storytelling: Real Incidents, Real Impact 

A deeply moving intervention stemmed from a real workplace incident, where an employee suffered severe damage to his left eye—an injury that was entirely preventable with proper PPE usage. 

With the employee’s consent, we created a safety awareness video capturing his life after the incident, the challenges he faced, and the emotional and practical impact on his family. The video was screened during tea breaks for shop floor employees and supervisors, ensuring full engagement. 

To further deepen empathy, we conducted role-play exercises, for instance, asking employees to perform routine tasks using only one hand or one eye. These exercises sparked intense reflection and meaningful discussions, forcing individuals to confront the irreversible consequences of ignoring PPE. 

This initiative marked a turning point—safety conversations became personal, active, and deeply rooted, bringing PPE adherence back into sharp focus.

3. PPE Poster Competitions: Ownership Through Creativity 

We regularly organise PPE Poster-Making Competitions to reinforce safety awareness in an engaging and inclusive manner. Employees express safety messages visually, drawing from real shop floor risks and personal experiences. 

The winning posters are displayed prominently across shop floors, serving as peer-created visual nudges. This initiative drives ownership, keeps safety communication fresh, and ensures that PPE messaging resonates across all levels of the workforce. 

The Competitions are extended to Employees’ Family Members, especially Children; and also to the Schools and ITI Institutes that we have adopted as a part of CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility). 

4. Cross-Plant Safety Talks: Learning Beyond Boundaries 

Another impactful initiative has been cross-talks across plant locations. Workmen from one plant visit other plants, conduct observation tours, share safety experiences, and highlight unsafe acts in a constructive manner. 

Hearing safety messages from peers—rather than supervisors—has proven highly effective. In addition, these exchanges strengthened inter-plant collaboration, shared accountability, and knowledge transfer, further standardizing safe practices across locations. 

5. Regular PPE Safety Pledges: Reinforcing Commitment 

To institutionalize commitment, we conduct regular PPE Safety Pledge ceremonies across all plants. During these sessions, all employees collectively pledge to adhere to PPE requirements, protect themselves and their colleagues, and act immediately upon observing unsafe conditions. 

These pledges are repeated periodically—especially during Safety Weeks, inductions, and monthly interactions—ensuring PPE adherence remains a conscious and personal promise, not a forgotten directive. The act of verbal commitment strengthens accountability and reinforces safety as a shared value.

6. Behavioral Nudges Beyond the Workplace: Safety as a Way of Life 

Our flagship recognition program, “Star of the Quarter,” is conducted outside plant premises and attended by employees’ families—parents, spouses, and children. Each event is formally opened by Safety Officers with a message on general safety relevant to daily life, such as: 

• Household electrical safety 

• LPG handling and fire prevention 

• Seasonal diseases and water-borne illness prevention 

By extending safety conversations to families, we broadened the impact beyond the workplace. Employees became safety ambassadors at home, reinforcing the idea that safety is not situational—it is lifelong. 

7. PPE Awareness Campaign || Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India || 8 Oct 2021  

Results and Impact 

• PPE adherence improved from <10% to >90% 

• Sustained compliance across multiple years 

• Successful replication of initiatives across all plants in India 

• Increased employee engagement and peer-to-peer accountability 

• Strong emotional connection to safety, extending beyond the factory floor 

Conclusion 

Our journey demonstrates that safety excellence is driven by culture, not compliance alone. Through Gandhigiri, emotional storytelling, employee creativity, cross-plant learning, regular PPE pledges, and continuous behavioral nudges, PPE adherence evolved into a shared belief system. 

This approach transformed PPE from equipment into a symbol of care, responsibility, and respect for life. The true success of these initiatives lies not just in improved metrics, but in building a workplace where safety is instinctive, personal, and enduring.